Fewer Ohio teenagers use painkillers, heroin, Health Dept. reports

Prescription painkiller abuse by teens dropped nearly in half during the past two years, according to the Ohio Department of Health’s 2013 Ohio Youth Risk Behavior Survey.

In 2011, 21.3 percent of students reported using prescription pain relievers or painkillers without a doctor’s prescription one or more times during their life; in 2013 that dropped to 12.8 percent. The number of Ohio’s youths who reported using heroin also decreased from 3.1 percent to 2 percent.

OSU Extension offers wellness challenge

CANFIELD

The Ohio State University Extension will offer a six-week personal wellness challenge, “Live Healthy, Live Well.” The program highlighting the importance of better health will run from Sept. 8 through Oct. 19.

It is an online challenge designed to help adults get fit by encouraging regular physical activity, healthy eating and wellness tips. The event is free. Participants will receive e-communications twice weekly sent from a local OSU Extension family and consumer-sciences professional. The extension’s local branch is at 490 S. Broad St.

The challenge will focus on topics such as organic and natural foods, the importance of calcium and fiber and incorporating fitness into a daily routine.

Sign up and enroll by visiting http://go.osu.edu/Mahoningfall14. Once registered, participants will begin receiving e-communications starting the week of Sept. 8.

Applications are being accepted for the Warren Police Department’s Citizen’s Police Awareness Academy Training. The next class takes place from 6 to 9 p.m. one night per week starting Sept. 15.

Applications can be obtained from the city’s website www.warren.org or by stopping at the Warren Police Records Department, 141 South St., weekdays 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

During the six-week course, residents learn police policies and procedures, tour the county jail, have a police ride-along, train on use of deadly force in a “shoot, not shoot” simulated scenario, and hear remarks from Warren’s administrators and police chief. The academy has operated since October 2011 and has trained more than 300 people.

Upward Bound gets $249K to aid teens

YOUNGSTOWN

Youngstown State University’s Upward Bound program, which helps Youngstown city high-school students prepare for college, has received a $249,000 grant to continue the program for 2014-15.

The federal Upward Bound program, which this year is celebrating its 50th anniversary, is designed to help low-income and/or first generation, college-bound high school students graduate from high school, enroll in and succeed in post-secondary education. Two thirds of the participants are from families whose income are below 150 percent of the federal poverty level and in which neither parent graduated from college.

Since its start in 1998, YSU’s Upward Bound has served nearly 250 students. YSU’s Upward Bound has a 97 percent high school graduation rate. Twenty-five percent of the students rank in the top 20 percent of their class. About 8 out of every 10 students who participate in YSU Upward Bound have enrolled in college.

Several injured in three-car accident

POLAND

Minor injuries were suffered by several people, including a pregnant woman, in a three-car crash at 3:50 p.m. Sunday on U.S. Route 224 at Tala Drive in Poland Township.

According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, two vehicles eastbound on Route 224 were slammed into while stopped in traffic by a car ahead of them attempting to turn left.

The lead vehicle was not damaged, and its passenger suffered no injuries. The vehicle in the middle and the vehicle which failed to stop were damaged, and their passengers were taken to area hospitals with minor injuries, the OSHP reported.